"This?" Alicia asks, holding a pair of dangly, sparkling earrings close to her ears before trying a more subtle stone. "Or these?"

Ricardo squints at them for a few moments before brushing her hair out of her eyes gently and scooping up the original earrings she'd shown him, light brown turning caramel in the right lighting. "These," he says, helping her to put them on. "They look amazing on you, bring out your eyes perfectly."

She beams at him and throws her arms around his neck. "I was hoping you'd say those," she says happily, kissing him before pulling away and skipping back to the bedroom. "I'll be out in a little bit!"

"Take your time," he calls after her, settling in to wait for as long as it'll take. They're going out later, to dinner and a movie, and she'd decided she wanted to dress up and look nice for him. He smiles fondly and checks his hair in the nearest mirror, content with his appearance. He's wearing his favorite bowtie, and one of his newer, crisper, suits. Even his shoes are gleaming, and he smiles, closing his eyes as he listens to her bustle around.

She'd gotten a new chip to acknowledge the length of time she's been sober, and he had decided it was time to celebrate. Her, her goals, how well everything's going. Everything had clicked into place after that- the fancy restaurant she'd heard about from Taya, the movie both of them had wanted to see, on and on. Might be a little overdressed for the theater, but he couldn't care less right now, wanting things to be special for her.

When she appears, staring at him through lightly made up eyes that makes her look alluring and mysterious, he forgets their plans for a minute, hands twitching as he stands and walks closer to get a better look at her. "Ay dios mio," he says, alternating between awed Spanish and English, a couple of other languages thrown in there making her giggle.

"I take it that means you like it," she teases him as he takes her hand and encourages her to twirl for him.

"Damn, mami, si I do," he breathes out, hands ghosting over where the back of her dress slopes. "You're so beautiful, Alicia."

She smiles tenderly at him and reaches up, gently smoothing some of his hair that apparently escaped his attempts at gelling it back earlier. "You look pretty damn handsome yourself," she tells him, leaning in to kiss him.

"I feel really plain next to you," he confesses, eyes slipping closed as she nips at his lip, displeased with his self-appreciating comments.

"Trust me, you're not," she says with a small smile. "C'mon." Hands enjoined once more, they walk side by side to the car, eager for a night out. "I've missed this," she confesses.

Even with her retired from WWE, free time has been somewhat limited, between his training and her fashion ventures. There are still days where they barely see each other, but now their schedules have jived just well enough for them to do this and Ricardo vows to enjoy every second of it.

After dinner and the movie, Ricardo drives out of the city, away from the light pollution, and holds Alicia's door open for her as she gets out and looks up at the sky, the stars so much clear and beautiful out in the middle of nowhere. "God, this is gorgeous," she hums, spinning in a slow circle to take it all in.

"Yes, it is," he agrees quietly, eyes absolutely not on the stars as he says it.

She glances down and discovers him staring at her, flushing softly. "Ricardo..."

"I love you," he says simply, grinning when she walks up to him and hugs him tightly.

"I love you too," she breathes back, pressing a kiss to his jaw. His fingers trail teasingly down her spine and she hums, closing her eyes as he presses his forehead to hers. "So much."

He exhales softly and traces the lines of her dress with his fingers before guiding her back to the car, laying a blanket out on the softest patch of grass he can find. Once they're settled, staring once more up at the sky- or trying to- he rolls onto his side and gazes at her. She slowly turns her head and looks at him and he smiles, touch once more tickling along her bare skin.

She sighs softly, feeling something tender and special drifting in the air around them, cloying and rich.